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About this paper

With seemingly unlimited data flowing from countless sources, a growing list of stakeholders and all the variables included in analysis, forecasting for larger organizations can resemble a minefield rather than a gold mine. Producing high-quality statistical forecasts can supply downstream planning processes with high-quality input, but large-scale forecasting must be conducted seamlessly and automatically so it becomes a part of the process rather than a task to be performed. SAS® Forecast Server is designed to automatically deliver high-quality statistical forecasts quickly and efficiently. When forecasting a large amount of time series data, the challenge is to create a robust and flexible setup that accommodates various business inputs as well as the specifics of the time series. This paper presents a structured approach to statistical forecasting that is both flexible and uses the full power of SAS Forecast Server without compromising user friendliness and manageability. It is intended for non-technical business analysts who want to accommodate complex business forecasting problems, and for more technical users who need input on implementing the SAS Forecast Server.

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SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative analytics, business intelligence and data management software and services, SAS helps customers at more than 80,000 sites make better decisions faster. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW®.